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NYC: All the Week’s Parties, Basement Edition

An unassuming tourist type at an unassuming football bar tells me this: “New York restaurants are crazy! There’s a club in every basement!” I nod my head. He means RdV, the bass-thumping club below Bagatelle. “No,” says the unassuming tourist, “We were in some East Village pizza restaurant or something!” Jesus, it can be tough keeping up with the NYC Jones. There seems to be tons of hidden gems that try to stay away from the people like me who can write about them, Twitter about them, Facebook about them, and ultimately ruin them. Some things are worth keeping a secret, but when the party is in the basement of Coffee Shop or some media lunch spot that regularly gets off on decent press, it’s easy to broadcast. Some other things will remain a mystery, until I can fully understand if it’s an actual basement party or simply a couple of bus boys getting high between shifts.

SUNDAY

Lowdown: It’s been a while since the playing field has leveled, but it seems as though there are some new sketchy Sundays in our future. Hot Now: ● GoldBar (Nolita) – Some say this is as good as Sundays could get. ● Sway (Sway) – Moroccan-themed rocker. Share in the angst with La Lohan on Sunday-night Morrissey fests. ● Greenhouse (Soho) – Though it may have a troubled door, Green’s Sunday night has been thriving. Worth a Look: ● White Slab Palace (Lower East Side) – A pretty awesome Sunday-nighter, taking the back door while we all were watching the front for their awesome Friday-night party to return. Sunday is one to stumble into; don’t expect boldfaced names like on Fridays.

MONDAY

Lowdown: The Monday party is a Manhattan mainstay, but let’s not forget about Monday Night Football; we did, and accidentally found ourselves having an awesome time at sporty spaces. Hot Now: ● Antik (Greenwich Village) – Okay, so Le Royale’s former party isn’t actually in Antik, it’s in the basement of Antik. We swung into the small, rock ‘n’ roll space it was small enough to feel really full, even on a slow night. Naturally, it heats up on the late side, after Monday Night Football has dissolved. Go to make friends. ● Stanton Social (Lower East Side) – Yes, still a great place to have a fun bite/Monday night drinks. ● Butter (Noho) – Monday night was packed again, though curiously the party is getting to be a bit more hipster. Worth a Look: ● Black & White (Greenwich Village) – Restaurant becomes cramped, sexy, sweaty hotspot after ten. ● Warren 77(Tribeca) – Just right for football fans with a bit more flair. ● Johnny Utah’s (Midtown West) Those huge TVs! It’s like a co-ed college party for industry folks (and half of them are not watching football). ● Diesel Presents Danny Clark’s Monday Nights at The Ainsworth. It’s hosted every Monday Night by Giants Linebacker Danny Clark, and admission to the football party includes cocktails, beer, and food. All proceeds are 100% tax deductible and support the Danny Clark Foundation.

TUESDAY

Lowdown: Tuesday clubs and bars vie to be the next hip or hipster watering hole, as real hipsters finally venture out to the fancy clubs they previously ignored. How ironic. Hot Now: ● Rose Bar (Gramercy) – This really has a lot to do with Nur Khan, and now the music enthusiast is upping his game with Nur Kahn’s Rose Bar Sessions, featuring a band every Tuesday night. Last Tuesday it was Elefant. And it was awesome. ● Avenue (Chelsea) – Backlash! People were astounded to find this place under our Tuesday heading: “Duh, the hot nights are Monday and Wednesday, obvi.” Those people are right, but those people have never known the true Bea. ● 1Oak (Chelsea) – Right around the corner, the one-of-a-kind kids get the spillage of displaced hipster kids, who can’t decide between one gilded lounge or the other. Again, people agreed to disagree — and with a name like “Tight Jean Tuesday,” we know Jay-Z’s knots don’t fit. ● Greenhouse (Soho) – And for the non-hipsters and everyone in between, go green. Others to try: Superdive(East Village) – Champagne Tuesdays at this place is kind of like that weird dream you had once about falling into a parallel world where people tapped Champagne bottles in lieu of kegs. Dreams do come true. ● Simyone (Meatpacking District) – Might be able to add another notch on its belt; Tuesdays are hot at SL.

WEDNESDAY

Lowdown: Hump day may prove to be a weekday favorite for the holiday season. RdV packed them in last night, Coffee Shop (???) and Norwood had a resurgence. Hot Now: ● Le Cubain (Lower East Side) – Great spot for pre-drinks and cheap eat with babes with bangs in boots and vintage fur coats. Maybe even make it downstairs for a Chloe revival. ● 1Oak (Chelsea) – This is still 1Oak’s undisputed hot night. ● Greenhouse (Soho) – This one is in the basement, kids. ● Avenue (Chelsea) – Chelsea is hot on Thursday nights, thanks to Avenue. ● Simyone (Meatpacking District) – Tonight is the night for this Aalex Julian-guarded door. Worth a Look: ● Eldridge (Lower East Side) – Rock and roll, yes. ● Von (Noho) – Party in the basement is “pretty packed and a lot of fun” for the Noho set after 10pm. ● Coffee Shop (Union Square) – One of the true day clubs, chocked full of promoters networking via text message, the basement was taken over by Prince Peter. The basement? I didn’t even know that they had a basement …

THURSDAY

Lowdown: This is Manhattanites’ Friday night. Dancing, dinner, glitz, and even some glam, without the B&T jam. Hot Now: ● BEast (Chinatown) – Ryan McGinley’s night of debauchery is still in swing. Expect a Misshape or two, Sophia Lamar, and a band of insiders. ● subMercer(Soho) – You may have forgotten about this celeb-laden underground, but she’s back. ● Above Allen (Lower East Side) – The view looks really good on Thursdays at this lounge with a view. Apparently a good place for drinks before you actually go out. Worth a Look: ● Baddies (West Village) – Collette and a slew of good-looking guys and gals make this space a great after-dinner dance spot. ● Hotel on Rivington (Lower East Side)- At the penthouse, Madonna’s main squeeze is DJing. Again. Go bask in his good looks. ● 1Oak (Chelsea) – DJ Tati brings a Brazilian flavor to Thursday. Events: Or should we say “the event of the century”? Diddy celebrates his 40th at The Plaza.

FRIDAY

Lowdown: It used to be a day of rest for jaded New Yorkers, but since we’ve stopped bleeding moola, Friday’s a great day to cut loose. Hot Now: ● Butter (Noho) – Friday night party Whipped is so fresh, most can’t believe it’s Butter. Resident hipster DJs Matt & Maia draw out big name fashion folks like Alexander Wang and the Ronsons. ● Boom Boom Room (Meatpacking District) – You probably won’t make it in like the rest of the plebeians (us included), but if you could, this would be the night to go. ● The Standard Grill (Meatpacking District) – What’s that, didn’t make it in to Boom? Luckily, the Grill is jumping with everyone else who tried their luck and are now eating duck (or crow); even the most beautiful, classy folks gather here, so it’s a hotspot nonetheless. Worth a Look: ● Civetta (Nolita) – Finally, a fun late-night spot to hit in this nabe? Steve Lewis says it’s true. ● Home Sweet Home (Lower East Side) – Jonathan Toubin brings the fairly popular New York Night Train to this little living room on Friday nights.